Validation of a Measure of Acculturation for Mexican Americans

Abstract

An acculturation scale for Mexican American populations introduced by Cuellar, Harris and Jasso (1980) was cross-validated on a sample of 450 Mexican Americans and Anglo college students in south Texas. The results closely corresponded to the original normative data provided by Cuellar, et al., although the population of the present study was markedly different. Internal consistency of the scale was high, and a factor analysis yielded the same four factors identified by Cuellar, et al. The four factors included (a) language preference, (b) ethnic identity and generation removed from Mexico, (c) ethnicity of friends and associates, and (d) extent of direct contact with Mexico and with abilitv to read and write in Spanish. The findings also neatly supported work by others done in the area of empirically defining the concept of acculturation. For example, the findings were consistent with those that have reported that measures of behavioral acculturation are reliable and those that have suggested that individuals who are not Anglo-oriented may occupy a relatively imiarginal position in United States society.